Birthday surpirse
by primetimeguru
Summary: Wolfram and Hart bring back a familiar face to take down Angel and the gang. Set in season 3, a response to the challenge up in the Angel forums by Emma 172. My first fic, please R&R EVERYTHING!


**This is my first fanfic, it's kind of a response the the challenge posted in the forums to return Doyle as the big bad of season 3 (as per Joss himself) with a little twist. Please R&R, I want to edit using you opinion.**

**Title: Birthday surprises**

**Author: Primetimeguru**

**Rating T (just in case)**

**Pairing: Doyle/Cordelia**

**Setting: season 3, right around "Birthday"**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters.. if I did I would probably be very happy.**

Cordelia Chase stood in front of her vision...Vision Guide Thingy, she guessed. She kissed Angel, trying to take back the visions and return to the life she had. The life she belonged to.

"Are your sure you want to do this?" Skip asked, skeptical that any human would willingly go through visions.

"Do it," She said, steely with determination.

A flash of light engulfed her and the demon. A moment passed with her eyes closed. She slowly opened them, excited to see the gang again, and frantic to make sure they helped those in her vision. A giant, dark demon stood in front of her instead. Skip.

"What the hell?" She asked.

"Huh,"

"What, huh. There should be no huh," She said, incensed.

"No, It's fine. There's just a minor change in plans," He replied.

"What?"

"Sorry, can't say." He answered simply, and with that another beam of life engulfed Cordy.

"Come on!" She shouted angrily. Looking around the room she could tell this was not the audience for that little outburst.

"Cordy?" Angel asked, worried, and slightly confused.

"Well, come on, there's a vision we need to help someone." She said, attempting to cover up the minor embarassment. Wordlessly, the group followed her.

Pions were all they were, really. Two interns at the most powerful firm known to mankind, and they were stuck rummaging through a box of frog hearts and bile. Lilah smiled to herself at their insignificance. The ceremony would be much different this time. No more messing with just Angel, no, this time the entire group had to go down. The plan was almost fool- proof. As long as these two morons didn't screw up the ceremony by resisting too much. Behind her, the demon stood as intimidating as possible. It took a lot more to intimidate her these days.

"We're done," one of the eager interns shouted to her.

"Not quite yet," she replied back, motioning for the demon to begin his part.

Moments later, bloodshed finished, Lilah impatiently looking to her designer watch was bored of all the chanting. Everything these days had some sort of chant. Rituals were not her thing, the stuff that comes after, that was what she was in it for. Finally, the demon backed away from the two bodies.

"Tell me again why it was necessary to bring back both?" She asked. There was an obvious flaw in having one side of this plan come back.

"Two parts of a whole. One cannot exist without the other." It answered before throwing more bile-like substance onto the corpses.

Silence followed for a brief moent before a loud noise shot throughout L.A. The soud was deafening and the light that followed equally as heinous to the eyes. The bodies began to move, morph into some other form. One's compexion lightened, and hair darkened. His eyes swtiched from brown to blue-green. The other turned green. Blue pins pierced through the scaly skin and the rest of it's body. The two stood staring at eachother, the human obviously much more disorientated than his counter part. A shot rang out before he had a chance to respond. His body crumpled to the ground.

"There, that should settle it," Lilad proclaimed happily," I only wanted the one,"

"Two parts of the whole. One cannot exist without the other," The demon repeated. Moments later, Allen Francis Doyle rose, even more confused than previously. He touched the spot he was shot. No blood, no bullet. The wound healed itself just as soon as he received it.

"Dammit," Lilahh cursed. She approached the man once again, but before she could pistol whip him back into unconsciousness, he bolted. Running as fast as he could away from the woman he knew clearly to have some association with Wolfram and Hart. Plus, she just shot him. This was not exactly someone he wanted to hang around. She thought briefly about sicking the useless lug standing next to her on the runaway, but she had the one she wanted.

"You," She said, motioning to the full blooded Brachen demon who had remained calm amidst all the confusion. "You died when that moron said you would. You think that's very fair?"

The demonn violently lunged for the demon behind her. It was dead within an instant.

"I didn't think so." She said with a smile.

"Urgh, this is so stupid," Cordelia shouted angrily. Dressed up to the nines she immediately grabbed a toothbrush and vigorously went to town on every aspect of her mouth.

"Come on, Cordy, you know the visions are always kind of hit and miss," Angel offered, grabbbing a toothbrush just as she did.

"But it's been, like, a month. A MONTH. My last vision was the one I had before the coma. Something's up. And just why are _you _brushing your teeth? You're the one wth the animal blood diet." She replied in frustration. Angel quickly stopped brushing.

"It just felt so wrong," He responded with a shudder, trying to avoid the daggered stare Cordelia shot him.

"Didn't feel awkward for you too?" He asked in an attempt to redeem himself.

She had to admit it was true. As much as she loved Angel, the whole debacle at the ballet was not something she wanted to repeat. Even if it were under the influence of other people, she was there and he was there. The last time she kissed a friend it was much different. With Doyle there was something. Maybe it was the aftermath. The knowledge that the two would never really get the chance to explore themselves as a couple, maybe it was because he loved her, or maybe it was the transfer of the visions. Whatever it was, it was there.

"Maybe you're visions were impacted by the demon you met" Wesley offered from the other room. "Skip, was it?"

"Yeah, big, Scaly, liked movies." She responded. She turned to Angel.

"You're right, Angel." She said with a sigh.

" I mean, I love you, Cordy. But, not like that. I think-"

"Doyle," Cordelia's voice cracked.

The mention of his name still sent Angel reeling. Confused he followed Cordy's glassy gaze to the other side of the room where Lorne stood beside a very beliegered Doyle. Cordelia pushed Angel out of the way to the man they both saw perish two years earlier. She took him in her arms, hugging him, and making a promise to herself that if this was really him, he would never leave her sight.

She and Angel both tried to speak, but found the seemingly simple task impossible. Doyle also remained silent as Fred brought him a drink. The three exchanged glances between eachother for a few moments before the silence was broken.

"So, Angel. Nice new digs, a lot less batcave-y" Doyle offered, only to be responded with more silence.

"So, who are you again?" Gunn asked. Still confused about how this made sense to everyone but him.

"I'm Doyle," He responded patiently.

"And you were dead," Fred offered helpfully.

"Yeah," He said, staring at Cordelia, who could not bring herself to meet his gaze.

"But not anymore. Tell me again about what you remember of the ceremony," Wesley asked.

Doyle had never met these three people before in his life. He could at least remember that. A lot of everything else was a bit fuzzy. Cordelia had been kind enough to whisper their names to him as they walked to the couch.

"Uh, there was a demon. And that lady from Wolfram and Hart. We'd never met, but I could tell. Had 'Lawyer' written all over her. Plus, evil, so, you know, did the math. A demon, Kind of big, dark blue skin, some horns. Three, like a mohawk. Wearing a robe. I woke up and there was another me standing next to...me. It was all demoned out, though. Not my usual handsome self. Evil chick shot me. I didn't die, so I ran. Went to the old offices but they don't exist. Looked you guys up." He said.

"Anything else you can remember from the ceremony itself," Wesley asked.

"Didn't do a lot of sight seein'. Mostly I ran." He said sheepishly. Embarassed that his first response was flight, not fight.

"Well something is clearly up" Angel finally spoke up. "They wouldn't bring you back without some plan to do us in. Where's the other you?"

"I don't know. He seemed a little more calm about the whole living dead thing. She didn't shoot him." He replied.

"Then that's what they wanted, right? The demon?" Gunn asked.

"It's safe to assume," Wesley answered. "I'll look up some possible demons that could perform such a ceremony. If you can't really be harmed I'm sure your counterpart can't either. It wouldn't help us to find him."

"Yeah, but Lilah might be of some help," Angel said, picking up his coat and heading to the door.

"I'll help you find the demon," Fred offered to Wes.

"And I'll go with you, Angel," Gunn said.

Angel took a brief moment to contemplate asking Cordelia what she wanted, but he could alreadyy tell where her obligation lay. Doyle walked over to her, kneeled and began to whisper in her ear. placing his hand on the back of her neck, she placed her forehead on his and began to speak back.

"So, what happened?" Gunn asked. "How'd he die?"

"He saved me, Cordy, and a group of half demons from the Scourge. A group that kills anything that isn't full-blooded demons."

"He and Cordy have a thing or something?" He pressed.

"I can't speak for Cordelia. She keeps tp herself about that night, but I know Doyle was in love with her. She took his death pretty hard. Even if she didn't show it." He replied.

They reached the office of Wolfram and Hart. Getting inside was not really an option. Staking out her car would be the best option. Approaching daylight it became clear- either she wasn't coming out or she wasn't there. The two turned back to Angel Investigations hoping for news from the other side.

Meanwhile, Doyle sat beside Cordelia in one of the many empty rooms of the Hyperion. They went into a more private place to talk after Fred and Wesley went geeky over a few of the books in the collection downstairs.

"So. it took three people to replace me, huh, princess?" She smiled for the first time since the verification that he was really there. She thought he was dead. Since that night she had willed herself not to think of him but ever since the night Skip had told her he loved her, he was back in her mind. Now that he was here, sitting beside her on a bed all the emotions were back. She always thought it was just because the possibility was gone that she fell in love with him. Clearly it wasn't true.

"Cor, you have to believe me when I say I never meant to give you the visions. I swear" He said.

"I know. But they helped me. I've grown thanks to them. They may not have been meant for me, but I think I was glad to have had them. Now if only I would get a frickin' one already"

The statement alone must have sparked something. Doyle fell back onto the bed writhing in pain.

His Brachen self stood, with an army of other demons. They are attacking against Angel Investigations. He sees everyone.

Gunn, Wesley, Fred, Lorne, Angel, and Cordelia all fighting against them.

All he could feel was Cordelia's hand on his face and her other hand holding his. He gently rose to look at her. For two years all he could do was remember her face. For two years all she could do was remember his. They stayed in the same position for a few moments as his blurry vision corrected. He didn't do her justice.

"I guess the visions are back on me, then" He replied painfully.

"Maybe that's what Skip meant with the whole change of plans thing" she responded. Before he could ask who Skip was she said," What was it?"

"Me. The other me. He's buildin' an army. We have to stop him."

Moments later the gang gathered in the lobby to discuss the devlopments. Angel stood, ready for action despite the early morning hour. Wesley sat beside Fred and Gunn. Lorne was beside the phones next to the counter and Doyle and Cordelia sat opposite Wes, Fred and Gunn.

"From what I gathered about the ceremony, Lilah used a spell that sacrifices a person to reanimate another from the dead. In the case of our half-demon friend two bodies were necassary for two seperate entities. Like Jackyl and Hyde becomong two different people. If I understand it correctly, neither of you can die unless the two of you die simultaeously. You must be binded together for that to happen."

"And how do I do that?" Doyle asked.

"I'm not really sure. There are no accounts of the results."

"When they bind, does that mean Doyle will die again?" Cordelia nervously asked. Doyle squeezed her hand in an effort to comfort, but Wesley shrugged, not knowing what could happen.

"And now they're definitely planning something big. They're through trying to turn me evil and trying to kill me now," Angel added.

"Oh, good, something different then." Cordelia remarked. Trying to mask the fear of losing Doyle again.

"It's army big, Angel, man."

"But why? It's a demon, yeah, but it's a part of you. You seem pretty nice" Fred offered.

"It is a part of him, yes. But it is of it's own free thought now. As a half demon, Doyle was guarding against his other self- being Brachen- a more brutal entity. LIke Angel and Angelus I imagine, He probably wants revenge. He might figure, if he rids Doyle of his friends, he won;t have a reason to bind the two together again. He would be free and immortal." Wesley answered.

"How do we know when this is going down?" Gunn asked.

"They're comin' for us. It shouldn't take very long," Doyle said, voice trembling slightly at what lay ahead of him.

"I'm not going to let them. We'll be prepared" Angel replied. "Let's get tp work."

Lilah loved prophecies. One undead guy and all of a sudden you have an entire demon army on your side. The Scourge were not exactly open to seeing her-a filthy human- in their midst- but bringing along the Brachen demon certainly helped. They all kneeled at his feet, chanting in a low voice over the miracle that befell them.

" The impure will rise from death of your doing and become pure again to lead you to elimination," She repeated to the army from their ancient scriptures.

"Today is that day. He will lead you in to defeat the vampire with a soul and all his human allies," She continued, drowned out from the elated cheers of all of those who seeked this the most. Satisfied, she made a quick call the the main office.

"This is Lilah, go ahead and tell the senior partners that the plan was a success, we'll be at Angel's doorstep within the next two hours."

Doyle had to admit he was surprised when he saw Cordelia Chase strap on a few weapons herself alongside himself, Angel, Wes and Gunn. When he had last seen her she was holding a knife like a used tissue before handing it off to Angel. She was definetely right- she had grown up a lot since he last saw. It made him love her all the more. Thinking about the possibility of never seeing her again...again he could not help himself. He pulled her to the other side and into the next room. Before she could speak he pressed his lips against hers and kissed her with all the pent up passion he had since the moment he had met her. She greeted him just as eagerly and when they broke she let out a soft giggle. She looked into his worried eyes and her smile fell. She knew then what this was about.

"Doyle, don't worry, we'll find a way out of this. Stop last kissing me"

"But if I don't-"

"You'll be back,"

"But if I don't. I wasted nine months last time. I should have told you I loved you from the day I met you. If I don't come back I want you to know that. I wanted to kiss you."

"Then kiss me" She said softly. Again, they locked lips. A tear fell from her eyes. Forced to face reality she didn't want this to end. She wanted to remain in what she thought was the broom closet. The kissing intensified more and more with every moment they realized could be their last. Somehow, he willed himself to break apart.

"They're here. I can feel it," He said, waivering slightly. From behind them glass shattered in the other room. The fight began.

The outnumbering didn't seem to falter the group. Angel sliced through as many of the Scourge as he could. He knew who they were. They killed his friend. They nearly killed him with that loss. He wasn't about to let that happen again. He swung an axe into the chest of one and thrust its corpse into another oncoming demon. Beside him Wesley scewered one to the wall. Still moving, though, Fred took the oputunity to hit it over the head with a book before it could lunge back at the unsuspecting Wesley. Gunn took out two on the way to Lorne, who was in danger of losing a horn to the onslought. From behind, one demon knocks down Gunn. From the floor he leg sweeps it and snaps its neck. Doyle spent most of his time divided between trying to get to his other half and trying to help Cordelia. As one demon makes his way toward her he moves to her side and does battle. They exchange blows, but Doyle is not evenly matched and gets knocked down. The demon snaps his neck and quickly returns to Cordelia who uses a sword to slice off his head. Doyle rises, correcting his neck, impressed with her new moves. They exchange smiles before he is stabbed in the back. Barely reacting he removes the sword and does away with the culprit. For the first time he has a clear shot to the Brachen.

Looking around he sees the five holding their own, but barely. Wesley is trying to protect Fred from the bulk of attacks and having a tough time doing so- Angel is furiously and blindly attacking anything that moves. Lorne is attempting to contribute alongside Gunn and Cordy. He stood now, face to face with him. The reason his friends were at risk. Himself.

"Why are you doing this" He asked himself.

"You killed me. I want to live forever." Angry, Doyle takes a shot at the demon. The exchange kicks and punches.

"This is useless, you fool. We cannot die. You will eventually tire quicker than I will. You are the weaker half."

"Maybe, but I think I might be a bit smarter,"

He knew what he had to do. He spoke to Wesley about the ritual. If one spilt the blood of the other fatally, it's possible the two will recieve the blow simultaneously. Cordelia stood just a few meters from him and the gang. Angel lost his weapon. She picked it up before any other could. Including Angel. She hesitated a moment. Either she could toss it to Doyle, helping him destroy the demon and possibly himself, or give it bacck to Angel and continue helping thin out the army. She made her choice. As quick as he could Doyle lunged at his demon self with the sword in his hand. Shots of pain ran through every part of his body. He couldn't tell if it was his screams or his demon's screams that echoed through the room. The same blinding light that created the two of them filled the air. Cordelia pushed her way through the onlooking crowd up to the scene. Doyle lay motionless. The demon was nowhere to be found. This was something different though. He wasn't gone. They merged. For a moment the fighting stopped. The Scourge commander glared angrily at Lilah.

"He is gone. This is not our prophecy fufilled. He is there to enjoy the bloodshed of the fallen enemy after the fight is done. You've decieved us." Angrily the leader and his brethren fell in line, finding the enemy of the deceptive human a much more enticing target.

"Crap" Lilah said, annoyed. Making her way out of the hotel as fast as possible, trying to make a call.

:"This is Lilah, again. I think we're going to need a clean up crew for the demon army. They've decided to go another direction. As fast as possible please."

Cordelia kneeled next to his body. Angel stood beside her, hand on her shoulder. Wesley stared steely eyed as Fred nesstled her head in his shoulder, soft sobs echoing. Gunn sat on the floor a few meters away as Lorne averted his eyes. She knew he was probably right. This thing couldn't last. But she wanted it so badly. All she had now was more regrets and not nearly enough memories. She never said it. Once again he put his heart on his sleeve and she kept herself guarded. Tears finally began to fall to the floor.

"At least this time we can properly bury him," She offered to Angel, her emotions back inside. He nodded quietly, knowing she was trying to cover it all up.

"Well, that's a bit morbid, don't cha think, princess," He said, rustling from the ground. He rose slightly, rethinking it after a woozy feeling rushed into his head. He looked up to Cordelia and smiled. She returned the smile before kissing him on the mouth, cheek, forehead, and every other part of his face.

"Oh my god, Doyle!" She shouted in his ear.

"Good to have you back," Angel said. Their eyes met. The comraderie they had all those years ago were still there. Doyle nodded to him. He nodded ak and smiled.

"Do you feel any different?" Wesley asked, a little bit sad that Fred relinquished herself from his arms.

"Demons definitely in here again. I think I still have the visions too" He said. Looking to Cordelia, he could tell it was true. She looked at him with sincerity.

"I love you" Cordelia announced.

"First time you ever said that."

"I know,"

He kissed her. He didn't even neeed to say it.

**What did you guys think? Please R&R so I can edit.**


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